Nnamdi Azikiwe at the Olympics by Mena Odu

The UK National Archives are a true goldmine of amazing historical documents (and hilarious instances of "grammar"). We will be spotlighting every now and again some of the most interesting records of Nigeria's colonial history. For today: did you know that Nnamdi Azikiwe was not only a fervent nationalist and Nigeria's first president, but also a noted sportsman? As a young man, "Zik" enjoyed swimming, cross-country running and boxing, and even American football while a student in the USA. He also promoted society-wide participation in sports through the Zik's Athletic Club and when he was a 28 year-old student at Lincoln University, Azikiwe wrote to the British colonial government requesting financial assistance in his bid to represent Nigeria at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.
In the letter, he states his event of choice (the "1,500 Meter race"), his own excellent sporting record, and his belief that "West Africa should by all means participate and enjoy the prowess, the athletic heritage, and the glory of physical perfection handed down to us by the immortals of ancient Olympiad" and that Nigeria should have the opportunity to "superscribe[d] its name on the annals of Olympic history." Although it would be twenty more years before Nigeria's first showing at the Games (alongside West African neighbours Ghana), Azikiwe's stirring arguments for African participation at the Olympics show clearly the roots of the love of country and equality that would inform his vital role in the country's independence movement. The first page of the letter is shown below. You can read it in its entirety here.